Sharing Emily
by Takako's Revenge
Summary: Emily/Naomi fluff. The summer has gone well so far, but now Emily and Naomi have to face two major challenges – and their names are Rob and Jenna Fitch. Can they accept Naomi as part of Emily's life? Rated for typical Skins language.
1. Gina and Cereal

AN: Hey, guys. Well, this is my first fanfic outside of anime, so all feedback appreciated. Not quite a one-shot, but two or three chapters should cover it. Enjoy!

Summary: Emily/Naomi fluff. The summer has gone well so far, but now Emily and Naomi have to face two major challenges – and their names are Rob and Jenna Fitch. Can they accept Naomi as part of Emily's life? Rated for typical Skins language.

**Sharing Emily**

Naomi woke up first, as always. She stared up at the ceiling for a few moments, basking in the company of the warm breathing lump of duvet beside her, the fabric gently slipping back and forth against her skin as it did so. Naomi allowed a smile to appear on her face. Yep, bed was definitely better when you were sharing it.

She turned to look at the lump, gently pulling the covers down a little so she could see her girlfriend better. Emily had a knack for bunching the duvet between her legs, but other than that she didn't really have a sleeping position. Or rather, she was such a restless sleeper that discovering the state of her girlfriend before she woke up had almost become a game for Naomi. Emily always swore afterwards, often cutely defensive, that she never did it in her own room at home. Naomi always joked that she was lying, but liked to believe the redhead did it because she was subconsciously happier to be herself around her.

Smirking, she sat up a little to survey the sight before her. Emily was turned away from her, a hand under her cheek. An oddly boring pose today, the blonde mused, but the duvet was still between her legs. Sighing, she lay back down, staring at the back of her neck; at the glint of those gorgeous red locks in the morning light. Unable to resist, she started toying with them – something she did a lot. Something about that patch of skin just captivated her completely.

Emily awoke, but her eyes remained closed, revelling in the contact. "Why do you always do that?"

Naomi grinned. "Because it's a free fucking country."

"Yeah," scoffed Emily. "I mean, what's the world coming to when you can't even feel up your girlfriend in her sleep?"

"Fuck off! I'm trying to be romantic," Naomi laughed. "So stop pissing on the parade and enjoy it."

Emily went quiet and the two lay in silence for a while, Naomi's hand still running through her hair. Then Naomi spoke up, her voice full of mock – and admittedly some real – apprehension.

"So… today's the day."

Emily groaned. "Oh, don't remind me."

The summer holidays had been running smoothly so far – Naomi and Emily were finally out properly to their friends, and Naomi had, thank fuck, stopped running from her feelings. However, Emily's parents still didn't know that they were together – or even that Naomi still spent any time with Emily at all. After the 'run, Simba and never return' talk from Emily's mother and the outright avoidance tactic from the girl's father, the couple had decided to just play it safe for a while. Or rather, give Emily time to reassert her sanity with them before they dismissed their relationship as Naomi's bad influence again.

Of course, tonight was going to be the fabled second attempt, and even Katie was in on it. Since the twins' legendary bust-up at the Love Ball, she had come to accept her sister's relationship, and had even started to be more civil to Naomi. Well, there was a discussion about how if she ever hurt Emily, Katie would break her face, and she still always told them how disgusting and wrong it was for them to show affection in public, but it was certainly better than before. Still, even if she hadn't been the Katie equivalent of nice, they needed her for tonight. She was the big gun – the one her parents would listen to, and the one who would fight Em's corner.

Back in the bedroom, Naomi laughed out loud. "It's alright for you. They'll just ignore you. _I'm_ the one who's going to get it."

"If by 'ignoring' you mean having me exorcised!" Emily protested, giggling.

The blonde rolled her eyes. "Christ. I knew it was a mistake letting you watch 'Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit'."

Emily burst out laughing. "It could happen."

"No, Emily," Naomi sighed in pretend exasperation, "it will never happen."

There was a long silence. Finally, Naomi spoke up again. "Nailing me into a cargo crate and sending me to Timbuktu; _that_ might happen."

"Aw, don't!"

-----

"Morning, you two." Mrs Campbell glanced up at them, smiling. She was sitting at the table reading the newspaper.

"Morning," the pair responded in tandem. It was difficult to hear over the sound of the kettle boiling, but Naomi's greeting was wry where Emily's was cheerful but coy. Gina made to get to her feet as the bubbling ceased.

"No, it's okay, I'll get it," Emily offered quickly. "How do you have it?"

"Oh, white with two sugars, sweetheart, thank you – uh, what do you think _you're_ doing?"

The last part was directed at her daughter, who had shuffled right around the table and sat down opposite her without a second thought. Naomi just offered her signature 'what?' expression as she picked at her fingernails. "What?" There it was.

"Honestly, leaving the guest to make the tea by herself! I thought I'd raised you with manners."

Naomi raised her eyebrows freshly. "Yeah. And Kieran knows all about how good you are at making strangers comfortable, doesn't he?"

Gina opened her mouth to say something, but Emily got in first as she carried over the tea. "Hey! Don't say stuff like that, she's your mum!"

After setting the cup down by Gina and the milk next to the cereal box, the smaller girl went around to sit beside her girlfriend, who rolled her eyes with a smirk but didn't argue.

"Ooh, pretty, polite, nice to me _and _knows how to shut you up…" her mother commented. "Hate to tell you, love, but if you don't marry her of your own accord, I'm going to make you."

Naomi cleared her throat and bit her lip as she glanced at a blushing Emily, but it did little to stop the smile spreading across her face.

Gina had to admit that she thought Emily was an absolute godsend. It was the fact that her daughter, who put on such a face of apathy most of the time, could be heard laughing in her room whenever they were together, that tipped Gina off to their relationship in the first place. From the first time the girl had stayed over actually. Something about Naomi leaving the house at stupid o'clock in the morning and the other girl following her an hour later looking like a recently kicked lovesick puppy was something of a giveaway.

However, she was only told in the summer, the day after the Love Ball. The pair had come downstairs together, which admittedly was nothing knew these last few months, and as Emily had started for the door, Naomi had hesitated. Their big argument about coming out still fresh in her mind, the blonde had in a moment of impulse decided to reinforce her intention to stay with Emily by introducing her properly, as a lover rather than a friend. After all, having met Emily's mother, Naomi knew with even more certainty that her own, the queen of human rights, wasn't going to be a problem. Sure enough, Gina had reacted well, and now their house had become more of a second home to the mousy girl.

Of course, mused Naomi as she poured cereal for the two of them, there were certain drawbacks to her mother's pro-gay attitude. Like the incessant information sheets on homosexuality that she posted under Naomi's door. Oh yes. Gina, rather mortifyingly, liked to 'help'.

"And, um, thanks again for the leaflets, Gina. I'm sure they'll be… useful." Emily's gratitude was clearly forced as her voice tailed off and she shrank into her first mouthful of cereal. Naomi snickered. Oh Em, how you like to humour interfering souls.

Gina failed to notice the embarrassment lacing the girl's words. "That's alright, Emily. I like to help. So what are you two up to today?"

Naomi flashed her mother a look that was clearly about to be accompanied by a comment about minding her own business, but Emily just pulled her spoon out of her mouth and said with a level of sarcasm, "I've been summoned to spend the day with my family."

"Oh. Well, that should be nice."

"Hopefully." Gina noticed her take a sidelong glance at Naomi as she said it.

"Is that a regular thing? Naomi and I just tend to muddle along when it comes to spending time together. Whenever we're both free, you know?"

Emily smiled. "Mum used to be really into it, but since Dad started his gym he's been working all hours. 'You'll only _get _Fitch _with _Fitch' or something." The redhead did unenthused air quotes as she said it.

"Nice he does what he loves I suppose."

"Yeah, I s'pose. But it means we haven't had much chance to do the family thing."

Gina nodded in understanding. "Oh, right. So is Naomi going with you?"

Naomi's orange juice nearly came out of her nose at that one.

Emily cast a worried glance at her coughing girlfriend, but then fielded the question. "She's coming for dinner, actually."

Gina didn't know that Emily was still in the closet to her parents – although not for lack of trying to pick the lock with coat hangers. Thinking about it, she didn't know about Naomi's current track record with Emily's parents either, although that conversation was to be had in the pretty immediate future.

Presently, Naomi noticed with a pang of dismay that Emily, human vacuum, had already finished her breakfast: she would be leaving soon. Then Emily started to drink the milk straight from the bowl. Naomi burst out laughing.

The redhead blushed a little at the way she had forgotten all concept of etiquette, but still scraped together enough dignity to ask, "What?"

"Classy," Naomi cracked, grinning.

"Shut up," Em laughed.

"You gonna make me, then?" Naomi rose an eyebrow at her, but her girlfriend only managed a half-smile in response.

"If only," she murmured wistfully, taking the blonde's hand in her own. "But I have to go."

Reluctantly she rose from her chair and picked up her bowl in her other hand, the couple's hands slipping apart as she placed it in the sink. "It was nice speaking to you again, Gina," she said with a smile on her way to the doorway. Naomi took it as her cue to follow.

"See you again soon, love," Gina called in response.

Closing the door into the kitchen behind them, Naomi exhaled loudly. She stared at the back of her girlfriend's head. Emily seemed to feel it, because she turned around.

"Don't huff," she chastised lightly.

Naomi shrugged, maintaining the distance between them. "Just fucking hate sharing you."

She said it with a smirk, but the sentiment behind it was very much real.

They stared into each other's eyes for a moment. Then Emily took a step forwards, and Naomi followed suit, and suddenly they were hugging, Naomi's arms tight around her girlfriend as she played absentmindedly with the tips of her hair again.

"Jesus," Em whispered into her shoulder. "I'm fucking bricking it."

"Just enjoy yourself." Naomi closed her eyes, murmuring the words into her ear. "You don't have to worry about it till I get there."

She pulled away and rested her forehead against her girlfriend's. "And I will be there," she said firmly. "No blurting it out early just 'cos your mum slags me off, alright?"

Emily sighed, but nodded. The gesture caused the girl's hot breath to tickle Naomi's nose. It was too much for the blonde, and she moved in to kiss her, her hands slipping from the redhead's shoulders up to her jawline to intensify it. Eventually, and with much difficulty, she pulled away.

"Besides, nothing like your girlfriend fucking you on the dinner table to prove you're not faking it."

Emily groaned. "Please, God, don't be serious!"

Naomi scoffed, grinning. "Of course I'm not fucking serious! I'd love to see Katie's face if I did, though."

"You really wouldn't!"

"I'm pretty sure she's given me worse."

They both laughed emptily, suddenly more aware of the shorter girl's impending departure. A silence stretched between them.

"Bye, Naomi," Emily said finally. Naomi reluctantly opened the door for her.

"See you later. Love you."

"Love you too."

And with that, Naomi watched her girlfriend disappear down the pavement and out of sight.


	2. Absence Makes the Heart

AN: So, the second instalment. A lot longer than I expected it to be, but I'm sure you lot won't mind. :) Thanks for all the feedback, by the way. I'm glad people liked it. :)

Here we go…

**Sharing Emily: Absence Makes the Heart Like JJ – Locked On and Prone to Rages**

Naomi had watched Emily until she had actually vanished from view behind a corner. Feeling more anxious without her, she folded her arms tightly around herself and turned back into the house. As she entered the kitchen a second time, she found her mother running hot water for the washing up.

"Oh good, my ethical child labour. Come on, you can dry."

Naomi rolled her eyes in only a half-hearted gesture of resistance and strolled slowly over to the sink. She barely caught the tea towel tossed her way, and then fidgeted with it waiting for the first piece of crockery. As Gina handed over her soapsud-covered mug, she did a double-take at the suddenly sombre expression on the face of her only child.

"Oh sweetheart, what's wrong?"

Naomi just shrugged and took the mug off her, and Gina resolved not to press the issue. A teaspoon and two tablespoons later, however, and Naomi was handed a cereal bowl – the one that Emily had been using minutes before. She stared at it for a moment.

"Mum."

"Mm?"

Naomi paused again, tasting the words on her tongue. Finally she began to dry Emily's bowl, unconsciously more carefully than she had the other items.

"How would you feel… If Emily was around more?"

Gina chuckled a little. "Sweetheart, compared to the nudist and the Messiah, I'm sure Emily the Great Naomi Tamer will be a joy to have around. Though I doubt she could be around more than she already is – I mean, she stays over most evenings…" Gina suddenly froze and went pale. "Oh God. You aren't really getting married are you?"

"Mum-"

"Because you know your dad and I were so young and-"

"Mum…"

"-I just think it would be a hasty decision this early o-"

"Mum!" Naomi's striking eyes bore into her mother's like she was checking for a concussion, the corners of her lips curled upwards in amusement. "Of course not."

They went back to their respective chores in silence, now cleaning out the orange juice glasses. Finally Naomi continued.

"It's just that Em's parents don't know that we're…"

She trailed off.

"Oh," said Gina. "Is that what tonight's about?"

Naomi didn't respond, but the way she looked away more than confirmed it to her mother. Presently Gina just smiled cheerfully and pulled the plug out of the sink.

"Well, I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. I'm sure they're both educated enough to know these things aren't-"

"Mum," Naomi interrupted, smiling awkwardly as she did it. "The only time I've ever met Emily's mum, she told me to disappear and not to screw her daughter up."

Gina's brown eyes met her daughter's grey ones dead on for a moment, and it struck her on an odd tangent how much like her father her daughter looked. Then the eyes were gone as Naomi set about returning the bowls to their cupboard above the microwave. Gina snapped out of it, suddenly aware of what her daughter was saying.

"So this woman's actually confronted you?" Naomi ignored her. Gina pressed on. "For making her daughter happy?"

Naomi sighed. "Mum, it's sorted, alright? We'll sort it tonight."

"And what does she make of Emily? Or is it just you she's bothered about?"

Naomi shut the cupboard door, her fingers lingering on the handle, and she closed her eyes in exasperation. She was going to regret this. "She thinks I'm a bad influence."

"What?!" Joy. "Right. So as long as you're gay somewhere else it doesn't bother her then."

Naomi glared at the ceiling. "Mum, I'm not gay!"

"Oh, no, sweetheart, I didn't mean-" Gina stopped herself and stared meaningfully at the younger Campbell. "Sorry, love, you know what I mean."

Gina picked up the glasses and took them to the cupboard next to the hob.

"It's just I can't stand all this Nimby Syndrome."

Naomi stared at her for a moment, mild confusion plastered on her face. Her eyes darted a little, almost as if to check whether anyone else had heard that and was any less confused. Finally, her mouth twitched up, her eyebrows raised high. "What?"

Gina completed her task and turned to stare back at her. "You know, 'Not In My Back Yard Syndrome'. People happy for minorities to exist as long as they aren't in their own family – oh, honestly, sweetheart, the eighties really are lost on you, aren't they?"

Naomi's stare only grew more patronising. "Nineties baby? 1991? You were there?"

"Yes, alright, cheeky. So what's this got to do with Emily coming over more often?"

Naomi watched her mother grab the remaining cutlery from the draining board and start ordering it in its home in the corner drawer.

"I dunno," she shrugged defensively. God this was embarrassing. "I just thought, you know… If this evening does go completely arse over tit…"

Gina knew precisely where this was going, but this was something her daughter had to say for herself. Memories of telling a toddler Naomi to 'use her words' flashed briefly into her mind. She found herself placing the spoons in gently; closing the drawer softly so as not to disrupt the girl's train of thought or make her lose her nerve. She deliberately didn't turn around even, sensing her daughter's reluctance for eye contact.

"…Maybe she could… Live with us or something."

It was a hypothetical and highly unlikely scenario. But nonetheless when Gina turned around, she was smiling warmly. It wasn't the commitment aspect that she cared about. It was simply that Naomi had opened her heart to someone enough to take a plunge like this for them.

"Of course she can, sweetheart," she responded flippantly, as if Naomi had asked something completely mundane. They shared another look for a moment, before Gina broke away from it, rushing over to the shoe rack in the hallway. "Now, I'm off to pick up Kieran. We're going to a nature reserve owned by the National Trust."

Naomi rolled her eyes once more, but she was smiling. "I don't know what'd be worse: you being boring enough to make a date out of the Squirrel Nutkin trail or being disgusting enough to do it in the bushes at your age."

"Excuse me! My age!"

Naomi grinned, hearing the door open. "Don't worry if your knickers go missing. Some pensioner will have dropped them off at the tourist office."

"Yes, very funny! I'll see you later!"

The door slammed and Naomi was alone, with nothing left to do but ponder her meeting with the in-laws.

-----

Emily was halfway home when she picked up a text from her brother's first mobile phone. It had been a pretty big stretch for Jenna, who still thought he was too young, but apparently when you plead the case that Gordon McPherson has one for long enough, you'll eventually get what you want.

_KT sez well pick u up from pola bears in 10_

Emily sighed. Open contacts. Select Katie. Place phone to ear.

Ring. Ring. _"Yeah?"_

"Who the fuck is 'Polar Bear'?"

"_What?" _Katie sounded equally as perplexed._ "Oh for fuck's sake! James, what have you told her?!"_

There was a muffled voice in the background as James answered her.

"_God, you're about as much fucking use as a shit-flavoured condom."_

More static as James responded.

"_What'd you call me?!"_

"Katie, please!" Emily pleaded. "Where the fuck am I supposed to be in ten minutes?!"

Katie audibly huffed on the other end._ "He was supposed to text 'Panda'. I said you stayed with her last night."_

Emily glanced at her watch then cursed in dismay. "Shit!"

"_What? Where are you? I only said Panda's 'cause it's near Naomi's-"_

"I'm already walking home now! Just get them to meet me outside Drinksworld or something."

A pause. _"'Kay. Bye."_

Emily hung up and started walking again hurriedly. This day was looking better and better.

Ten minutes later and she was sitting on the low wall in front of the off-license. Looking for a sign of their familiar people-carrier, she was stunned to notice her sister walking towards her alone.

"What's going on?" she asked.

Katie strutted up to her, leopard-print blouse buttoned down to show cleavage pushed up in a deliberately showing red lace bra. "They've gone to Asda while I get you. Oh, and thanks for saying 'bye' by the way. I'm well glad I bothered covering for you and everything."

"Sorry," Emily apologised. "I panicked."

"S'pose. I told him to send it ages ago so you had time."

"Why didn't you text me?"

"Couldn't, could I? Had no credit for weeks."

Emily frowned in confusion. "So how've you been replying to people?"

Katie shrugged. "Used yours."

Emily eyes flared slightly in disgruntlement, and she gave a sardonic nod of understanding. "Right."

Katie perched on the wall and took off one of her shoes, rubbing her sore heel. She would never admit that they had been too small even when she had bought them; that would mean she had been wrong.

"Had a right game getting it past Mum. She's turned into a proper stalker since the history exam."

The day of Katie's history exam had also been the day that Emily, upset after a fall-out with Naomi and sick of getting grilled by her mother, had promptly snapped and announced the saucy truth of what she had really been up to with the blonde. The attempt to come out had fallen flat with Rob, but Jenna had been holding onto her suspicions ever since.

Emily frowned again. "She never says anything to me."

Katie looked at her like she was stupid. "That's because you're being stalked?"

Emily said nothing. Katie pulled a cigarette out of a pack in her handbag and lit up.

"Mum's gonna smell that a mile off," Emily pointed out.

"So? It's gonna be a long fucking day," Katie retorted. "Want one?"

"No thanks," Emily sighed. "I could really do with staying in her good books today."

Katie smirked wickedly. "I'll drink some voddie if you want. Make you look better."

Emily laughed. "That's okay, you don't have to."

"Don't fucking have to?" Katie scoffed. "Yeah, proper burden, not being sober for this shit!"

Emily laughed. "You know what I mean."

Katie pursed her lips in a cheeky smile back, her brown eyes twinkling mischievously. She yanked her sister into a one-armed hug.

"Be alright, you know."

"Will it?"

A pause. "Don't be stupid."

-----

Three hours later found them both sitting in a booth in Pizza Hut, along with the rest of the family unit. As planned they had been to the cinema first to watch Transformers II, and presently Katie, Emily and James all stared longingly at the Hawaiian pizza on the table to their right as they were served pasta, salad and mineral water. They could only be Fitch after all.

As the man from the neighbouring table picked up a pizza slice, a chunk of cheese-covered pineapple dropped off onto the round wooden serving board, rolling briefly before coming to a stop at the edge.

Infuriatingly fucking Fitch.

James pouted, stabbing grumpily at a piece of pasta. "Why can't we eat proper food?"

Rob swallowed a large mouthful of salad. "This _is_ proper food, kid."

James slammed his fork down. "No it's not! How is it real food when I'm still hungry afterwards?!"

"James," Jenna hissed, trying to appease him. She was acutely aware that people were looking over at them. "It's healthy."

"I don't _want _to be healthy! I'd rather be a total heffa than eat this!"

Katie and Emily looked at each other. It was true that they wouldn't go quite that far, but they had to agree with the little worm's principles.

James's voice continued to rise. "We eat pizza all the time at Gordon McPherson's house!"

"Okay!" Jenna conceded quietly, glancing at her husband. I'll ask the waitress if you can have the buffet, okay?"

She got up and walked quickly away in the direction of the girl at the till. James looked pleased with himself, and the twins, Katie in particular, found themselves wondering why the hell they had never attempted the public scene slash beat-down tactic when they were still young enough to get away with it.

Rob glared at his son, his voice low. "'Ey! There'll be less of that! Your Mum's in charge, right?"

"Like fuck she is," muttered Katie, and Emily nearly choked on a small tomato.

Rob had apparently chosen not to hear her. "So, ladies. How's things on your end? Still with that Frankie, Katiekins?"

They shared a confused expression. "Frankie?" Emily asked.

"Oh, you mean Freddy," Katie clocked quickly. "No, we broke up."

A testament to Freddy's unwitting importance in her life, Katie had actually been without a boyfriend this summer. Ordinarily she might have had some arm candy for the sake of keeping up appearances at college, but the holidays had been a good excuse for a break it seemed. Whether it was her unrequited love for the skater or her twin finally asserting her independence, or a little bit of both, she would never tell, but to Emily she had grown up a lot.

"Shame, he had a good build that one. Could have taken on the family business."

"I thought I was supposed to do that!" demanded James.

Emily glared at him beside her. "I thought you didn't want to?"

James shrugged. "I don't."

Emily's eyebrows knitted together and she turned back to her pasta, dismissing him. Meanwhile, Rob appeared to realise something because his face suddenly turned deathly serious, his blue eyes alive with their usual vacant madness. "Wait a minute. He hasn't done anything out of line, has he?"

Katie's eyes went wide for a moment, but her mouth didn't work as fast as it normally did. For a few moments, she considered telling her dad everything (with embellishments in her favour); really get one over on Effy and Freddy, as much as she still cared for him. Perhaps just stir a needed loving reaction from her father – get him to defend her like he always had. She barely even heard her mother come back.

"Rob, I'm sure it was nothing like that," Jenna said quickly.

Emily seemed to sense a little of what Katie was contemplating from her rare silence, and kicked her swiftly under the table.

"No, it was nothing," Katie blurted concurringly from the much-needed impact. As revenge unseen to their parents she pinched her sister's lower thigh where her skirt had ridden up, which Emily endured quietly; then she nudged into her with her shoulder as thanks for her quick thinking.

Jenna noticed her girls' closeness, something they had seemed to be lacking all year, and hesitated. But only for a moment. Then she went in for the kill.

"And Emily… how's JJ?"

Emily looked up like a deer in headlights. What was she supposed to say? She could hardly tell her mother that she and JJ were a couple, because then tonight would have made this whole day of being genuine and mature look like a total lie.

"Um, well, we've decided to just be friends."

Something flickered in her mother's eyes, and both girls saw it, Katie growing oddly protective where Emily was starting to get spooked.

"That's a shame, after all that time keeping your relationship a secret."

Emily stared blankly at her. "What?"

Jenna's hazel eyes grew darker with suspicion, but her voice remained light. "You know. JJ told us how shy he was, so that's why you were keeping it quiet."

Whether Katie was doing it as a favour for a few moments ago or was just quick off the mark Emily didn't know, but her timing was impeccable. "Aw, Em, game over. God, he could have at least told you he'd said something." She turned to her mother. "She's been worried about saying anything because he said he wanted it so low key. Not even our friends know they were properly together – only me and Freddy."

Jenna followed her older daughter's words and nodded slowly like she was on a customer services help desk following a foreign client's particularly complicated problem.

"Right."

She hadn't bought it, they knew. And now Emily was even more nervous – not just from that particularly close shave, but because now she was doing specifically what Naomi told her not to do – getting riled up. Ever since her girlfriend had mentioned her bad encounter with the woman, everything Jenna said and did just got on Emily's nerves. Mostly because it was all just so obscenely calculated, her dark beady eyes boring into her as she asked carefully worded questions. It was like being a police suspect, being asked the same questions all the time, and yet occasionally having a new one sprung on you when you were relaxed to catch you completely off-guard, all made worse by the fact that Emily was bending truths and evading answers at every turn, and yet was too nice to lie completely or consistently. For all her assertions of independence, Katie was still the strong one, the tough one who could conjure a story and make Emily stick to it.

"Well, that's a shame," Jenna continued slowly, searching her eyes. "He seemed… nice."

_Male, _you mean! she wanted to scream, but she kept her mouth shut, simmering for Naomi's sake.

"Because," her mother pressed, "you've been staying away from home a lot lately."

"Mum, she's had a lot of invites. Friends from college," Katie interjected valiantly. Never had Emily been so grateful to not be speaking for herself.

Jenna turned her attention to her eldest child. "And why not you?"

There was a pause, and Katie shrugged sheepishly, somewhat defeated by the comeback. "We have different friends."

Emily cleared her throat, an idea forming. "A lot of my friends prefer staying in and watching movies and stuff, so we do the sleepover thing more."

Katie caught on. "Like Panda. She loves Twister."

Her family all stared at her. Jesus fucking Christ, she was starting to come out with random shit like JJ.

"What we're saying is," Emily started up again, tentatively, "Katie's friends like to go out, so she always comes back home after. That's why she's not away as much as me. Even when she's… out and stuff."

Jenna looked from one to the other, scrutinising them. "I see."

Emily tried to start eating her food again, but toying with a piece of pasta on her fork, realised there were too many butterflies in her stomach for her manage anything else. She set down her fork gently rather that dropped it deliberately, trying desperately to keep her attitude in check, and half-stood up in the narrow booth. "Katie, can you let me out?"

"Where are you going?" Jenna pounced, paranoid.

"To the toilet," Emily stated, glad her surprise at her mother's truly over the top interrogation covered up her building anger.

Katie slid out of the booth to let her sister pass, and Emily walked off to the public toilets. She almost slammed the door into someone as she opened it, already scrolling for her girlfriend on her contact list and pressing her mobile phone to her ear.

It only took one ring for Naomi to pick up.

"_Emily."_

The blonde's voice came out relieved and nervous. If Katie was here, she could have likened it to the tone in which she had said that name that time in the café, back when she had tried to keep them apart.

Emily released a breath she was unaware she had been holding. "That was quick."

Naomi ignored her. _"What's wrong?"_

"Nothing. She's just driving me mad, that's all."

"_What, your mum?"_

Emily didn't respond.

"_Well, what time is it now, about 1:00?"_

"Yeah, but it's still ages to go. I don't know if I can stand it."

There was nothing but static as Naomi went quiet.

"Naomi?"

"_Look. If you've just been talking about it, she's bound to drop it eventually. Just get her to talk about something else, or ignore her or something. What did I say earlier about having fun?"_

Emily smiled in spite of herself. "The fun ended when Megan Fox disappeared and the credits started rolling."

"_Excuse me, I am actually listening, you know!"_

Emily laughed.

"_Still glad you called though. Even if you are a heartless cow."_

Emily could hear the smile in her girlfriend's voice. "Me too."

"_You and your wandering lezza eye."_

"Shut up!" Emily grinned, catching the door from an incoming customer and walking out into the small corridor tucked away from the main part of the restaurant.

"_I'll see you tonight. Don't let her wind you up! That's my job. I love you."_

Ever since they had gotten together officially, it was like a gate had been opened, and Naomi seemed to be continually saying those three little words wherever it could be deemed appropriate.

Emily's voice softened. "I love you too. Bye."

"_Bye."_

Pressing the 'end call' button on her phone, it took her a moment to realise that she was being watched. Looking up, she found her father's blue eyes gazing back at her glassily, his hand flat against the door of the men's toilets, poised to enter.

"Dad!"

For a moment he said nothing. Then he smiled his perfect smile knowingly, his eyes going gentle as they always did when he looked at her. "Alright, sweetheart. I'll see you back at the table."

Emily searched his eyes for a moment, then nodded coyly and started back.

"Oh, and Em."

She stopped. Slowly she turned to face him. His smile was still stuck in place.

"If he ever hurts you, I'll break his legs."


	3. The Family Fitch

_I know, it's been forever. Sorry, but essays, exams, uni, writer's block, glowering in angry disbelief at the finale of season four... All these things take time. Still, at least this way Emily and Naomi get to live on for a bit longer off-screen, so I almost did you a favour, right? Right? Eheh… -Looks awkward and backs away slightly-_

_Enjoy :)_

**Sharing Emily: The Family Fitch**

Naomi shivered in spite of the humidity. She was stood outside Emily's front door, feeling like a first class lemon for being too jittery to ring the doorbell. Through the translucent strips of glass in the woodwork she could see them, already halfway through their meal. Obviously Jenna was hardly going to set a place for her at the table; the plan was simply to ambush her at a time when she had no choice but to stay put and listen. Naomi had failed to eat anything herself, sensing she was too nervous to keep it down, and presently the aroma of the food both seduced and repulsed her. How was Emily? Could she not eat either? From this blurred perspective she was ashamed to say she couldn't tell the twins apart, their backs to her at the kitchen table down the hallway.

Unconsciously driven to find out, she meandered furtively over to the living room window, trying to catch a glimpse of her. There was a click. And then the garden floodlight came on.

"Shit!" Naomi squinted up at the object as it lit up her position on the lawn like she was an escaped convict, then glanced back at the street behind her. Across the road a nosy middle-aged woman was peering through her own window with a suspicious look in her eye.

"Bollocks!" Her eyes darted desperately around the garden. No use; there was nowhere to hide. "Fuck!"

She cast another panicked glance back through the window. Staring back at her now was the face of a very disgruntled Katie Fitch.

"S'alright, it's just a cat," she heard the redhead call back to the kitchen.

There were very few times where Naomi felt this much of a dick, but Katie's disdainful expression, which quite clearly read, 'Oh, Jesus, it's you,' was pushing her to whole new heights of embarrassment. Wincing at the entire circumstance she half-ducked down behind the window and trotted briskly back to the front door. She pressed the doorbell. Seconds later Katie opened it.

"I know it's Bristol, but you don't have to come through the window. You can actually use the front door."

Naomi wanted to politely advise Katie on the benefits of going and fucking herself, but somehow held her tongue. "Can I come in?" she managed tersely.

Katie moved aside with a shrug. "Your funeral."

Naomi's glare came off slightly fearful as she ventured a foot over the threshold. The older twin backed into the door until it shut behind her. Naomi wasn't sure whether to be happy the girl was preventing Jenna from ousting her or alarmed that she was being penned in with the beast.

Sitting at a place at the dining table with a clear view of the front door, immediately Jenna's beady eyes pierced her in a glower of outrage. Even Katie had the sense to squirm under it; her voice came out wary. "Mum?"

Emily stumbled over her words. "Mum, there's something we wanted to-"

"What are you doing here?"

It was no use; neither of Jenna's daughters had even managed to register on her radar. It was as if there was a single line cutting straight from her to Naomi, and as it drained the blonde's confidence faster than anything she had ever known it was clear she felt it too. A huge weight seemed to compound her from all sides, and suddenly she had not even a grumbled, "Piss off," to contribute to her defence.

Jenna stalked around the table, taking strides towards her. Katie watched helplessly as Jenna came to stand nose to nose with the blonde with no idea how to mediate. "This is not what we agreed," Jenna whispered lowly.

"Bollocks," spat Naomi, scowling.

Not knowing what else to do, Emily stumbled over her seat and instinctively shoehorned herself between her girlfriend and her mother, at a height disadvantage for blocking their glaring match. Her back to the blonde, Naomi could feel Emily's laboured breathing; feel her physically shake with the effort of keeping her two worlds from colliding. Suddenly she realised how selfish she'd still managed to be: Naomi was daunted, but for Emily everything could fall apart.

"Jen!" Five pairs of eyes turned suddenly to Robert Fitch. He looked bewildered and a little appalled at his wife's reaction thus far. "What on the earth is goin' on?"

A silence fell over them, so heavy after raised voices that Emily could have sworn her ears were ringing.

"For her." Jenna turned back to face them. Emily heard Naomi's breath against her ear as she said it, but the words weren't directed her way. Tilting her head to catch her girlfriend in the corner of her eye, she saw a smooth jaw line she had kissed several times before clenched in resolve and Naomi's wild grey eyes trained meaningfully on her mother. "Please. Ten minutes. For her."

Jenna seemed to waver in her resolve, dark eyes searching hers before flicking disdainfully to look the blonde up and down. Seconds went by as Jen considered this proposal before Rob stirred her from silence:

"Would somebody tell me what-"

"Fine," Jen interrupted, her voice high-pitched and patronising. "Let's… _talk_."

A few more moments of silence passed as all the females in the house mutely disentangled themselves from what felt like a dramatic freeze frame and waded through the tension to their respective seats. Katie remained standing, leaning against the wall close to Emily, and Naomi took the older twin's place at the table beside her girlfriend. Jenna on some kind of wild reassertion of motherhood began to snatch the plates up violently and take them through to the kitchen, stealing a chewing James's from under his nose. He glanced irritably at his now functionless knife and fork and set them back down on the table.

"Son, go to your room," Rob addressed him.

"But-"

"No, Dad. I want him here." The plea came from Emily. "I want all of you here."

Jenna finished clearing up and yanked her seat out with a surly show of force, dropping into it and tucking it in with a screech against the hardwood she ordinarily chastised the kids for scratching. Rob glowered at her behaviour and eyed Naomi warily with a look that questioned the extent to which she could possibly belong in this Fitch family dispute, before looking at Emily in an exasperated appeal to be given a break. Emily knew she couldn't indulge him. She took a shaking breath.

"I'm gay."

"Again with this nonsense!" declared Jenna.

Emily ignored her, addressing her father. "I _am_ Dad. And Naomi's my girlfriend."

"Oh, Rob, pay no attention! That's clearly what she's after with this… _ridiculous_ announcement."

Katie's eyes flicked between her parents. "Dad, it's true. They're a couple. Why else would she say it?" The last part she directed at Jenna.

"Well, Katie, sweetheart, is it any wonder? You've always shone so brightly; Emily wants to be different from you, and she thinks that by being a-" Jenna seemed to attempt the word but eventually skipped over it, "-she'll get it. Thanks to _her_!"

She gestured wildly towards Naomi, spitting the last word with venom. "I _knew _she'd screw her up! She was _fine_ before she met her! Filling her head with twisted ideas and _preying_ on her!"

"Mum!" Katie objected.

Naomi took particular offense at the word, 'preying', her grey eyes igniting in indignation, as did Emily's brown ones.

"Emily is what she is! It's nothing to do with me!"

Jenna's sneered. "You really have no shame, do you? Waltzing in here and spouting lies after you've got into her pants!"

That was enough.

"Right," Emily declared, getting up and stalking off.

"Where are you going?" asked Katie.

Emily called over her shoulder as she jogged up the stairs. "I'm getting the box."

"Please tell me you're joking. Ems?"

Emily didn't answer.

"Oh, Jesus!" Katie barked.

Hearing her girlfriend's footsteps fade, Naomi turned to the older twin, eyebrows quirked in confusion. "What box?"

"The fanny box!" James beamed excitedly.

"The what?" Naomi's voice came out low with dread. But James didn't answer. Kicking back his chair on the hardwood floor with a squeak, he raced from the table and started up the stairs after Emily.

_Thump!_

"Ow!" James grunted, falling in a heap at the bottom of the staircase.

"What on earth was that?" Jenna wondered aloud.

That, Katie wanted to point out, was the unmistakeable sound of her sister's foot connecting with James's chest cavity, but she thought that Emily's muff-munching was enough ground-shattering news for one night without the added blows that their only son was a pervert and that their lovely daughters tormented him at every available opportunity.

Emily came back into the kitchen and planted the box in the middle of the table. Naomi's heart sank further as she connected the dots. 'Emily Fitch – Keep Out!' was written on it.

"Emily, I better not be in there!" Naomi warned.

"You're not," put in James casually. All eyes turned to him as he limped over and took his seat at the table. Emily glanced sheepishly at her girlfriend in confirmation of her brother's alarming amount of knowledge on the subject and continued.

"This, Mum," her girlfriend started, twisting the lock to her combination, "is proof that this isn't Naomi's fault." With a final click she swung the padlock off and opened the box. All eyes fell to the contents.

"Jesus Christ," Naomi groaned. Katie's head hit the table. She sighed loudly.

"E-… Emily!" Jenna stammered in shock.

"Mum, I've had this box for ages. I just didn't get what it all meant until recently." Emily's voice came out soft. "So please, just lay off Naomi, okay? This is who I am."

Silence fell over the room. James perched on the edge of his seat to peer curiously into the container for new additions to it; Katie slapped him upside the head. Remarkably Jenna didn't rebuke her. Instead she tore her eyes from the box and looked at her other daughter.

"It's just… Sweetheart, it doesn't make sense," she tried as if she were rationalising the sky being blue to a four-year-old. "You and Katie are identical twins. If all this… _type of thing_ is genetic, then how can one of you be gay and not the other?"

"Actually, research shows that…" Katie and Emily shot Naomi looks channelling different emotions, but which nonetheless told her to shut up. "O-kay," she murmured in forfeit.

"The point is I _am_ gay. And I'm in love. And I really need you to be happy for me."

"It's true, Mum." Everyone turned to look at Katie. "She's been well happy since she got with Naomi. Proper 'got with', not just shagging – they're all lovey dovey and stuff. It's a bit gross, actually."

Emily grinned. "Thanks."

Jenna looked at her twins in dismay. She turned to her husband. "Rob! Say something, would you?"

Rob's glassy blue eyes held their usual distant and mildly psychotic expression as he stared at – or through, it seemed – his younger daughter. Finally the glint returned to them. He flashed his pearly whites in his trademark winning smile and shrugged loosely. "It's one less feller for me to worry about, eh? Eh?"

Emily offered her dad a grateful smile.

"Rob!" Jenna protested loudly.

Rob looked at his wife and gestured towards his younger daughter with the fork which had remained in his grasp throughout. "Will yer look at 'er, Jen? Our Katie-kins is right, she's been like a dog wi' two tails all summer. If it's this girlie whose put that smile on 'er face, I think we can all live with an extra daughter-in-law, right?"

"Right, Dad," Emily said, smiling from ear to ear.

"Besides, Blondie can protect my little girl better than that JJ wimp. No biceps to speak of. All skin and bones. I said, son, I'd 'ave you down my gym, but the less man you are, the less I have to worry about what you've been up to with my girl, eh?"

Jenna looked furious, but conceded. "Yes, Rob."

"Of course, turns out, the less man the better, eh, Em?"

Emily's grin quickly faded, as well as the will to live of everyone else in the room, as Rob dipped a hand into the Fanny Box and withdrew a cut-out of a naked model. He examined it seriously.

"'Aven't taken a leaf out your old man's book then. I never liked blondes me-self."

_Hopefully that was a good enough follow-up. Continue? And if so, with what? Let me know :)_


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